I had been missing good Halal food for a while when a friend discovered Oasis Grill & Pizza in Providence, Rhode Island. After a little insistence, we made the  half-hour trip and I was pleasantly surprised to find an Oasis in Rhode Island (pun intended). After arriving, we were met with a very nice waitress who let us sit where we wanted. It is important to note that Oasis serves Hookah. There is a separate family dining area if you’re trying to escape a smoking atmosphere.

One of the times we went we got boneless buffalo wings as an appetizer; another time we had the hummus. I really liked the hummus and enjoyed the presentation of the dish and was appreciative for an appropriate amount of bread for the amount of hummus given. I hate going to restaurants that give a bunch of hummus and not enough bread, but that’s not a problem at Oasis. The buffalo wings were pretty good but I would recommend the hummus over it.

As for entrées, I’ve tried a bunch of the things on the menu, from the buffalo chicken sandwich to the 1/2 pound burgers, but above all my favorite was definitely the steak & cheese on a sub. They cook the steak to perfection and then oozy cheese (my mouth is watering just typing about it). The buffalo chicken sandwich is a little too buffaloey (hard to describe but as a person who LOVES buffalo chicken, something just seemed off). The buffalo chicken pizza is good and a great item to share amongst friends as you wait for more items.

They have various deserts and teas as well. I prefer going to the store in the back and getting some baklava. The store in the back is great, especially for a poor student like me. They have chicken and beef steaks and a wide variety of essentials needed to cook. The store also sells hookahs and other affiliated items.

Oasis is right across the street from the Islamic Center of Rhode Island.

Pictures

Recommendations

Hummus as an appetizer

Steak & Cheese on a sub – add the fries for only 99 cents more

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Rating

Food: 3.0 – Buffalo Chicken was a little off (too much buffalo sauce)

Value: 4.0 – very reasonably priced

Service: 4.5 – Great service from all the staff, very friendly

Decor: 4.0 – well decorated

Overall - 3.5/5

Halal Rating

Full Halal Menu – Halal Meat store in back of Restaurant

Location

220 Broad St, Providence RI 02903

Contact

Phone: (401)228-6333

Website: http://www.oasisri.com – Website doesn’t work

As for food, based on where Ming III is located (Central MA), it’s a great option for those looking for Halal Chinese. The place is reasonably priced, but could get pricey for students. The average entrée was priced at roughly $15, and was enough for two people to eat from. If you split the cost, it’s a great price for students or anyone else for that matter. The Crispy Chicken with Honey appetizer was by far my favorite appetizer of the night, with the Cauliflower Manchurian coming in second. All the non-noodle entrées came with white jasmine rice but my favorite entrée was definitely the Hakka Noodle Chicken. We had gotten it spicy and boy did it taste good! I initially ordered Chicken in Garlic Sauce for myself (Mild), but found it to be slightly undercooked and not spicy enough; which is probably my fault for getting it Mild instead of Hot.

Desert was beautifully presented; it’s not on the menu and thus they walk around with the deserts and allow you to see what you want before you get it. The presentation of how the deserts were presented definitely helped and they all tasted good. My personal favorite was the mango sorbet in the white chocolate ball.

The service was great with all the waitresses and waiters helping us; we had 20 people come to the dinner. They charged 18% gratuity, something that is automatically included in the bill if you have 5 or more people.

They don’t have formal menus, instead they have laminated papers which act as the menu. It’s only been open for three months, but they seemed to have a steady client base and reservations are recommended.

Pictures

Recommendations

Crispy Chicken w/ Honey sauce

Hakka Noodle Chicken

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Rating

Food: 3.5 – Chicken in Garlic Sauce was slightly undercooked,

Value: 3.0 – average $15 entrées

Service: 4.5 – Great service from all the staff, very friendly

Decor: 4.5 – very well decorated

Overall - 3.5/5

Halal Rating

Full Halal Menu – viewed receipts and received verbal assurances from owner

Location

291 Turnpike Rd., Westborough MA 01581

Contact

Phone: (508)366-0090

Website: http://www.ming3mass.com – Website doesn’t work

As for the entree, I decided to get the Turkish prize of Adana Kabab, while my friend got a dinner special which consisted of a gyro platter with a special tomato based sauce. The appetizers came out on time and were good to munch on with the Turkish bread. The falafel was well cooked and had a great crunch while the hummus left a lot more to be desired.  After the appetizers, the entrees came out and were amazing. The Adana Kabab was delicious and flavorful. The portion size was great and I can say it was one of the best I have ever had. The gyro platter was even better. The gyro was layered with sauce and a small layer of crispy, sauce soaked bread. I asked the name of the dish and all they said it was their “special gyro platter”. In conclusion, if your looking for a delicious new place for some good, well priced Turkish food, Istanbul Park is the place to check out.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Gyro Platter
• Adana Kabab
• Turkish Bread

Rating

• Food: 4.5 – Great flavors and tasteful entrees
• Value: 4.5 – Fairly priced and great portion sizes
• Service: 4.0 – Good service, friendly staff
• Lota-Pani: 4.0 – As to be expected clean restaurant
• Decor: 3.5 – More to be desired, modest setup

Overall

Halal Rating

• Halal verification by staff
• Maybe BYOB

Location

293 7th Ave (between 4th Ave & 5th Ave)  Brooklyn, NY 11215

Contact

Phone: (718) 832-3400

Website: http://www.orderistanbulpark.com

If there is ever a chance for us to ever sit down and eat some good grub, we are always for it. The other day we trekked out to Flushing and checked out an Afghan restaurant called Choopan  Kabab House. This place is a favorite for a lot of people in the neighborhood and we decided to give it a try.

When we first got there, we were greeted by a wonderful lady who was very nice and helpful. We ordered the usual kebab and rice dishes and waited. We got bread and salad it was great.  The food came out pretty fast and was pipping hot. The afghan food is probably one of the most delicious ones we have had. If your with a group, try to get a the combo platter so you can taste a bit of everything and really experience it all. The kebabs have a freshness to them and the rice is better than at Bakhtar Kabab.  Price wise your also looking around $10 depending on what your ordering. There really aren’t any real complaints about this place except that it isn’t the best place to sit & eat, so you may wanna take it to go!

Overall, if your in the neighborhood picking up groceries or just talking a walk at the park, this is a wonderful little place to check out.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Combo platter (get a little bit of everything)
• Kufta kebab & don’t forget the white sauce
• Green Tea

Rating

• Food: 4.5 – One of the better & clean afghan food out there.
• Value: 4.0 – Not over priced, looking at under $10 for most platters
• Service: 4.5 – Great & helpful waitresses (please tip them well)
• Lota-Pani: 4.5 - Clean bathrooms
• Decor: 2.0 – Could be done better; place is a bit cozy

Overall

Halal Rating

• Fully Halal

Location

4327 Main Street Flushing, NY 11355-4743

Contact

Phone:  (718) 539-3180

Website:  None

Since it was a weekday afternoon, we got just in time for a lunch time for the lunch special. The place is located near bus & subway stops so its easily accessible. After getting seated we were pleasantly greeted with a salty treat as we decided on our order. We decided to get an order of General Toa’s Chicken & Hunan chicken. The meals came with a soup and we both opted for hot & sour soup.

The soups came out very fast and were chunky & thick. The tofu was surprisingly very delicious. Soon after that the both dishes came out. At first sight the portions sizes are big. The hunan chicken was crispy and very tasteful.  The general’s was a bit too sweet for my liking, but the hot sauce did the trick. Overall the food was delicious, cooked to perfection and definably worth the money. So if you get a chance, check it out.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Hunan Chicken
• Pepper Steak
• General Toa’s Chicken

Rating

• Food: 4.5 -Best authentic Chinese food around
  
• Value: 4.5 – Great prices, especially if you get the lunch special
• Service: 3.5 – Decent service, could be better.
• Lota-Pani: 3.5 - Clean tables and floors
• Decor: 3.0 – Could be improved, but not the worst

Overall

Halal Rating

• Full Halal

Location

25-25 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106-3413

Contact

Phone: (718) 278-0080

Website: None

The Italian equivalent for ice cream is a known staple at this shop and they surely take pride in it. With so many different flavors and boat loads of different toppings and options, this place is definitely worth checking out.

A few weeks back while I was visiting some friends in Queens, we headed over for some gelato in the area. The restaurant has small meals such as panini sandwiches but we came for dessert. The service at this restaurant isn’t the greatest and on a busy weekend, be prepared to wait for a table. After being seated and checking out the menu, I opted for hazelnut gelato sundae. They have great custom creations as far as desserts go, so you shouldn’t have a problem.  The best flavors are  chocolate, passion, lemon, mocha & strawberry.  The good thing is you can you try as many gelato flavors before ordering to get a feel of what your going to be getting it.

Overall, this is a great little place to stop and have some desserts if your in the area and craving something sweet & creamy.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Any Gelato your in the mood for
• Food isn’t the best, but you got options.

Rating

• Food: 4.0 - Great gelato and a vast variety of flavors
• Value: 3.5 – Not the cheapest gelato; but worth it!
• Service: 2.0 – Needs improvement
• Lota-Pani: 3.5 - Clean floors, but the bathrooms could be cleaner
• Decor: 2.5 -  Decent decor; could use some improvement

Overall

Halal Rating

• Non Applicable

Location

70-09 Austin Street Forest Hills, NY 11375

Contact

Phone:  (718) 268-4400‎

Website: www.piubellogelato.com

Well, looks like this place closed down
===========================

Forget about olives growing in gardens. Real olives grow on trees, and “Olive Tree” will definitely make you a believer.  As one can tell by the title, Olive Tree is another “fusion style” restaurant. The curve ball here is that it’s the first Halal Indian/Italian fusion restaurant in New York City. Let me be the first to say: Italian and Indian food work incredibly well together, like peanut butter and jelly, toast and butter, Conan O’Brien and NBC (oh wait…).

First off, the decor is top notch. It’s modern and very comfy with dimly lit lights, wall paintings and some snazzy looking tables and chairs. There’s authentic Italian music that’s played and there’s just a very good vibe about the whole place.  It’s very welcoming. The staff was very courteous and friendly as they took our orders. We ordered Potato Croquettes for the appetizer, Grilled Italian Chorizo, Char Grilled Pepper Chicken, Carbonara and Chili Chicken Pastas. We ordered the food to have a little more spice to suit our taste buds, and we were not disappointed.

The croquettes are long pieces of mashed potatoes filled with cheese in the middle and are fried which was served with marinara sauce. It tasted exactly how I described it. It was a decent appetizer. Now onto the main course(s): the chorizo was very good. It was a fresh medium rare sausage with a spicy casing. Pepper chicken was skinless grilled chicken with mild spices, but what makes this dish pretty amazing is the gravy that came with it. Creamy, mildly spicy, and savory; you can dip anything into the gravy and there would be a party in your mouth. After experimenting dipping my napkin into the gravy I moved onto the carbonara and chili chicken pastas.

Now here’s where the fusion thing makes sense. The chefs in the back used their sweet, genius brains to find a way to make an authentic Italian pasta dish have a Desi kick to it without ruining the food. It really works and the pastas were devoured within minutes. This stuff is damn good. So good you’ll kick yourself for not coming up with the idea first. Who knew that alfredo sauce and garam masala were amazing together? It kicks more butt than Vegeta and Goku fused. Yeah, it’s that good.

Finally, onto desert. You won’t find gajar halwa stuffed cannolis here (thank god), but what they did have was Tiramisu. Normally, tiramisu is a layered spongecake drenched in alcohol, but since we were at a halal restaurant, the tiramisu we ordered was free of any intoxications. Excuse my Spanish, but I can say without a doubt in my mind that tiramisu is the stuff. It’s a definite must have at the Olive Tree. Sweet, soft, and a bit chocolaty. Such a dangerous but delicious combo.

The only bad thing I’m going to say about Olive Tree is that the prices were pretty expensive. But that’s to be expected when you’re dining in an elegant restaurant in the beautiful city of New York. Expect to pay around $15 per entree. With that said, I can’t recommend Olive Tree enough. It’s a Halal Italian/Indian fusion restaurant catered to Desis! What more could you want? GO GO GO.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Any Pasta dish and desi-fy it. (Make it spicy)
• Grilled Italian Chorizo. It’s an Italian take on a Spanish dish… but desi styled. How much more “fusion” can you get?
• Tiramisu

Rating

• Food: 5.0 – Everything we had was top notch and we came out more than satisfied.
• Value: 4.0 – Yeah it might be a little expensive, but you’re paying for the decor, the atmosphere, and the delicious food. It’s worth the money.
• Service: 4.5 – Very courteous and friendly. The staff seemed dedicated to the job.
• Lota-Pani: 4.5 – So clean you can eat off the toilet seat.
• Decor: 4.0 – It’s one of the better decorated places we have seen.

Overall

Halal Rating

• Fully Halal
• No Alcohol

Location

182 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Contact

Phone: (212) 447-8706

Website: NA

One word explains the experience, amazing. I had expectations of CFC and boy did it live up to and destroyed what I had in mind. The atmosphere itself was amazing, a large restaurant where people can sit without having to worry if there is space or how long they will be there for. No worries about parking or anything as they have there own area to park and boy was the food amazing.

I judge CFC’s based on how they make a chicken cheese steak: if it is cooked well, how it’s presented and above all taste. In the past I have driven all the way to Philadelphia to get a proper halal cheese steak and the one I got at CFC blew even that away. Perfectly made with American cheese, well cooked chicken, onions and green peppers, my mouth is watering just writing about it. I had bites of everything my friends and I got and everything was superb. The buffalo wings were perfectly spicy and the cheeseburgers were delicious. I ended the night by getting an ice cream cone, the ice cream can’t mess with the ice cream at Crown’s in NYC but it was definitely good as well. All in all, I absolutely loved the experience and highly recommend it to others.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Chicken Cheese Steak – didn’t have the beef but chicken was amazing
• Buffalo wings – kinda wish they had boneless but the boned ones were very good
• Double Cheeseburger – for $3.75 you can’t really go wrong if you only want a sandwich

Rating

• Food: 4.5 – far exceeded expectations
• Value: 4.0 – Fried chicken is kinda expensive but everything else is cheap
• Service: 4.0 – food was made quickly and the staff was fun to talk to
• Lota-Pani: 3.0 – there was water on the floor and a few squares of toilet paper
• Decor: 3.0 – regular sit in or take out place -

Overall

Halal Rating

• Everything is halal except for the ribs

Location

443 Lincoln Street

Worcester, MA 01605

Contact

Phone: 508-595-0220

Website: N/A

As soon as you walk in, you’ll be in awe with the decor. It’s very well decorated with dim and beautiful lighting and fixtures. This was easily one of the best decorated (halal) places we have seen. After being greeted and seated, we took a look at the menu. There are two cuisines that are served: one being Indian cuisine (no beef dishes) and the other a fusion on Asian style food (Chinese, Hakka, and Thai). The prices are what is to be expected, in other words it’s not cheap, expect to pay $15 an entree. An issue of concern I had was communicating with the staff. The staff that I encountered happened to be of Indian descent and had very strong accents, so it was challenging to communicate with them (just imagine being on the phone with Dell tech support).

Onto the food, which was just good. Nothing amazing, but the usual fare. One thing I can say for sure and that’s that the decor is definitely better than the food, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We ordered Chili Chicken, Cashew Shrimp, Shrimp Lo Mein, Hot & Sour and Vegetable & Chicken soups. The chili chicken is going to be spicy to the gora (white) people, but to us proud chest bumping Pakistanis it was mild with a hint of spicy. Good flavor all around, but nothing to make you say “Damn this is good!”. Cashew shrimp was an interesting combo. It’s cashews with shrimp in some sauce. Good stuff. The cashews bring a different texture to the shrimp and a bit of nutty flavor to the helpless sea creature on your plate.  The shrimp lo mein was how you would expect it to be, but other Chinese restaurants make it better (Halal Kitchen). Now, I’m not much of a soup person, and these two soups helped solidify my opinion. Hot & sour as you probably already know is a hot soup that is pretty tangy on the taste buds. lastly, the veggie & chicken soup was ordinary. Broth with chopped up vegetables and chicken. It’s nothing fancy unless you think ginger ale is a miraculous drink  that doesn’t get you drunk.

NanKing kind of makes you wonder why they put so much effort into the decor when the food isn’t up to par. I think it’s because the decor is the main part of the experience at NanKing. This isn’t to say the food is bad, it’s far from it, it’s just that with such beautiful decor, one would expect the food to play the part too. Recommended to people who want to delve into the atmosphere more so than the food, which is the case sometimes.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Cashew Shrimp
• Chili Chicken (get it done spicier if you want your taste buds to commit suicide though)
• Their non-alcoholic drinks are really good. It will make you look cool with an umbrella in that chilled curvy glass for 5 seconds before you snap back into reality.

Rating

• Food: 3.0 – Nothing amazing. The decor does give you false hope about the food.
• Value: 2.5 – Not cheap at all, but could be much worse.
• Service: 3.5 – Wait staff could be better, but gosh darnit they try!
• Lota-Pani: 4.5 - Very clean, amazing bathrooms. (Try the hand dryer!)
• Decor: 5.0 – One of the best decors we have seen at any place.

Overall

Halal Rating

• Alcohol served
• Verbal verification

Location

2056 Hillside Ave
New Hyde Park, NY 11044

Contact

Phone:  (516) 352-0009

Website:  www.nankingrestaurantgroup.com

Since that time, we have been going to Moti’s at least once a week and have become regulars at the restaurant. It’s a small place with a very nice wait staff, the food is good, the price isn’t too expensive and you feel filled when you leave. There are a number of halal dishes on the menu (there are some non halal too) so you can choose from a few different things of what you want to eat.

They have raised their prices on a few items since December so the Famous NY chicken/lamb and rice is now 7.95 instead of 6.95 which for college students makes a big deal. It is great for late night on Thursdays – Saturdays as it is open until 2 AM and soon there will be delivery so no more trying to convince people to go, if you want it you can soon order it. Overall, I like the place and would suggest it to others, just be sure to ask what is halal that day as it changes based on supply of what is available.

Pictures

Recommendations

• Famous NY chicken/lamb and rice
• Gyro – it is bigger than the shawarma and the same price
• Lemonade – it has rose water in it, very sweet but very good

Rating

• Food: 4.0 – very close to NY style chicken/lamb with rice
• Value: 3.0 – for a sit down place in town decent priced but for college students kind of expensive
• Service: 4.0 – very nice wait staff
• Lota-Pani: 4.0 -bathroom is in the back of the restaurant through the kitchen, still very clean though
• Decor: 4.0 – nice lighting and decorations through out the restaurant -

Overall

Halal Rating

• Not all dishes halal.
• Verify before ordering

Location

25 North Pleasant St, Amherst MA

Contact

Phone: 413-259-2150

Website: not yet